Thursday, October 31, 2013

An eco-sista who loves the simplicity and transparency of being eco-friendly

How long have you been eco-friendly? It started in my home as a child. I'd say when I was about 10 years old. My step-dad came home and said "we shouldn't eat KFC anymore because it's fake chicken." Of course I laughed. Fake chicken, oh please but then I slowly started to understand and with issues of global warming coming up I decided at a young age to be conscious of the environment.

Why did you choose to be eco-friendly? More recently I chose to seriously become eco-friendly because I was not happy with the way humans treat the environment. Also I became extremely concerned about my health and the long term effects of my current practices.

What do you like about it? I love the simplicity and transparency of being eco-friendly. Knowing what you put in and on your body is empowering.

Did you face any challenges?If so, what was/is the biggest obstacle(s)? Well, living on campus and eating healthy is a challenge. I do a lot of mix and matching to eat healthy at school. For example I get a grilled chicken from the grille bar and a salad from the salad bar. That way I have a fresh grilled chicken salad. Also, finding eco-friendly products for a decent price may be difficult. In order to stay within my budget I shop at farmers markets and cheaper natural food stores. I also make a lot of my own products. Toner, body butter, face creams...I make it all.

Any tips/advice for someone looking to be more eco-friendly? I'd say to start small. Going is a journey and you don't have to do it all at once. Begin your transition with one important aspect of your life. Such as beauty or home care. Do your research and google unfamiliar ingredients. As you transition you'll begin to feel more comfortable and confident in your green decisions.

Going green can be complex. This discourages a lot of people. There's really no "right" way it's basically trying to do something than nothing at all. I sometimes feel like a green hypocrite. Do you feel that way sometimes? I never feel like a hypocrite because this is my personal journey. Some days I will have a steak another day I might have to use conventional laundry detergent. That's fine. I always remember to jump right back into my green life as soon as I can. No one is perfect but doing what makes me feel good makes me happy. Living green to the best of my capabilities makes me happy. This is why Lexi's Green Guide focuses on transitioning and the journey to going green. It's all about making progress.

You know I gotta ask, How long have you been natural and how do you keep it so FLY? I've been natural for about 2 years. I keep it simple. When I'm not wearing a protective style I'm rocking a braid out. Like Drizzy Drake said, you have to OWN IT.